About George

Lying in a fertile valley, surrounded by the Outeniqua Mountains, rivers, forests and prosperous farmlands, close to the ocean, George lies just 420 km from Cape Town and 320 km from Port Elizabeth, making it a perfect place from which to explore the surrounding towns of Knysna, Oudtshoorn, Mossel Bay and Plett on the beautiful Garden Route.

Regarded as the administrative capital of the Southern Cape (Eden District), George is the 2nd largest city in the Western Cape with a sophisticated infrastructure that includes a national airport, top medical facilities, regional mall and the Go George bus service to name a few. It has redressed its former image of an industrial town to that of a the administrative capital of the region and a major tourist destination – not hard to do when you have two of the top ten golf courses in South Africa, excellent conference facilities, the national railway museum, a wide expanse of forest, rivers and the Indian Ocean on your doorstep.

If history is to be believed, then this beautiful part of the world was only explored in 1688, well after Dias had landed in Mossel Bay in 1488, in the hope of finding meat and fresh water. To the Khoi people, who lived in this rich valley, the region was known as Outeniqualand – the ‘land of milk and honey’ – which aptly describes this lush and green paradise. A settlement was established here in 1811 and named George Town after the reigning monarch King George 3rd of England at the time.

George has always been an easy-going town, with a laid back approach that allows one to easily enjoy the beauty of the natural setting. Whether it is surfing a top ten break such as Vic Bay, teeing off at Fancourt or hitting the George Peak hiking trail with its magnificent views, George has the perfectly balanced lifestyle fused between a modern small city and amazing natural splendour.

Fondly known as ‘cold and wet’, after our car registration – CAW – George is anything but. The moderate climate makes George ideal for outdoor adventure and trail activities, all year round.